Iran sentences four to death over banking scandal

By Yeganeh Torbati| DUBAI, July 30

DUBAI, July 30 An Iranian court has sentenced
four people to death for their roles in a billion-dollar banking
fraud scandal that forced bank executives out of their jobs and
tainted the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, state
media reported on Monday.

The embezzlement case, discovered in September 2011,
revolved around forged documents allegedly used by the directors
of an Iranian investment company to secure loans totaling $2.6
billion to buy state-owned enterprises.

Thirty-nine people were tried for their involvement in the
fraud.

"We are typing their sentences now and according to the
sentence that was issued, four of the accused in this case were
sentenced to death," judiciary spokesman Gholam-Hossein
Mohseni-Ejei told the IRNA state news agency.

He did not name the individuals sentenced to death.

Two others were sentenced to life imprisonment and others
received sentences ranging from 25 years and down, Mohseni-Ejei
was quoted as saying.

LISBON, Dec 9 The Bank of Portugal will not
alter the way it purchases debt under the European Central
Bank's quantitative easing programme following changes announced
by the ECB and will make sure Portuguese debt is bought until
the end of the plan.